Central Controller Board Enhancements For Wireless Power Battery Charging Systems

ABSTRACT

Various embodiments of the present technology generally relate to wireless power transmitter and antenna configurations for transmitting wireless power to one or more clients. In some embodiments, the wireless power transmitter includes boards having multiple antennas (i.e., an Antenna Matrix Board(s) (AMB)). The antennas can be on one side of each AMB board, while the control and power circuitry are on the reverse side. The antennas emit electromagnetic (EM) radiant energy that the client(s) receive, store, and/or use for communication with the charger or for the client device battery charging process. The antenna boards can be arranged in a configuration to increase (e.g., optimize) the amount of power transmitted to client(s). In various embodiments, the boards are arranged in polygonal shape as individual flat panels physically coupled to a support structure and attached to the CCB by plug in multiple pin connectors unique in mechanical design.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/453,426, filed Feb. 1, 2017, titled “Central Controller BoardEnhancements For Wireless Power Battery Charging Systems,” which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Many portable electronic devices are powered by batteries. Rechargeablebatteries are often used to avoid the cost of replacing conventionaldry-cell batteries and to conserve precious resources. However,recharging batteries with conventional rechargeable battery chargersrequires access to an alternating current (AC) power outlet, which issometimes not available or not conveniently co-located. It would,therefore, be desirable to derive recharging battery power for a clientdevice battery from electromagnetic (EM) radiation.

Accordingly, a need exists for technology that overcomes the problemdemonstrated above, as well as one that provides additional benefits.The examples provided herein of some prior or related systems and theirassociated limitations are intended to be illustrative and notexclusive. Other limitations of existing or prior systems will becomeapparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the followingDetailed Description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by wayof example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanyingdrawings, in which like references indicate similar elements.

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram including an example wireless powerdelivery environment illustrating wireless power delivery from one ormore wireless power transmission systems to various wireless deviceswithin the wireless power delivery environment in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 2 depicts a sequence diagram illustrating example operationsbetween a wireless power transmission system and a wireless receiverclient for commencing wireless power delivery in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram illustrating example components of awireless power transmission system in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram illustrating example components of awireless power receiver client in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 5A and 5B depict diagrams illustrating an example multipathwireless power delivery environment in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an enhancedwireless power delivery system in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a Central Control System (CCS)board or otherwise known as the Central Controller Board (CCB) board inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of an example Antenna Matrix Board (AMB)mechanical connection layout in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating various CCB connections inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a new Proxycommunication wireless ZigBee transmitter/receiver embedded component onthe CCB in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an AMB in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a CCB and multiple AMBs capableof communicating with a client device and delivering wireless power inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a layout for an array of multipleretrodirective antennas coupled to AMBs in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of selected connectorcomponents used on some CCB designs in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 15 depicts a block diagram illustrating example components of arepresentative mobile device or tablet computer with a wireless powerreceiver or client in the form of a mobile (or smart) phone or tabletcomputer device in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 16 depicts a diagrammatic representation of a machine, in theexample form, of a computer system within which a set of instructions,for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein, may be executed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description and drawings are illustrative and are not tobe construed as limiting. Numerous specific details are described toprovide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, in certaininstances, well-known or conventional details are not described in orderto avoid obscuring the description. References to one or an embodimentin the present disclosure can be, but not necessarily are, references tothe same embodiment; and, such references mean at least one of theembodiments.

Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodimentof the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” invarious places in the specification are not necessarily all referring tothe same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodimentsmutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features aredescribed which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others.Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirementsfor some embodiments but no other embodiments.

The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinarymeanings in the art, within the context of the disclosure, and in thespecific context where each term is used. Certain terms that are used todescribe the disclosure are discussed below, or elsewhere in thespecification, to provide additional guidance to the practitionerregarding the description of the disclosure. For convenience, certainterms may be highlighted, for example using italics and/or quotationmarks. The use of highlighting has no influence on the scope and meaningof a term; the scope and meaning of a term is the same, in the samecontext, whether or not it is highlighted. It will be appreciated thatsame thing can be said in more than one way.

Consequently, alternative language and synonyms may be used for any oneor more of the terms discussed herein, nor is any special significanceto be placed upon whether or not a term is elaborated or discussedherein. Synonyms for certain terms are provided. A recital of one ormore synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use ofexamples anywhere in this specification, including examples of any termsdiscussed herein, is illustrative only, and is not intended to furtherlimit the scope and meaning of the disclosure or of any exemplifiedterm. Likewise, the disclosure is not limited to various embodimentsgiven in this specification.

Without intent to further limit the scope of the disclosure, examples ofinstruments, apparatus, methods and their related results according tothe embodiments of the present disclosure are given below. Note thattitles or subtitles may be used in the examples for convenience of areader, which in no way should limit the scope of the disclosure. Unlessotherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein havethe same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in theart to which this disclosure pertains. In the case of conflict, thepresent document, including definitions, will control.

This disclosed technology generally relates to a wireless powertransmitter and antenna configurations for transmitting wireless powerto a client or multiple clients. In some designed embodiments, thewireless power transmitter includes boards, where each board hasmultiple antennas (also referred to herein as Antenna Matrix or AntennaManagement Board(s) (AMB)). The antennas can be placed on one side ofeach AMB board, while the control and power circuitry can be placed onthe reverse side. The antennas can emit electromagnetic (EM) radiantenergy, and the client(s) devices receive, store, or use this EMradiation for communication with the charger or for the client devicebattery charging process.

The antenna boards can be arranged in a configuration to increase (e.g.,optimize) the amount of power transmitted to clients. In variousembodiments of the present technology, the boards can be arranged asanother polygonal shape as individual flat panels physically coupled toa support structure and attached to the CCB by plug in multiple pinconnectors unique in mechanical design as discussed below.

Additionally, the antennas on each antenna board can have differentpolarizations. In some implementations, antennas on a first board arehorizontally polarized and antennas on a second board are verticallypolarized. In other implementations, the antennas can be polarized in acircular orientation. Having antenna boards with different antennapolarizations can increase a desired effect of reflection and decreasean undesired effect of radiant destruction. Also, a client generallyreceives power more efficiently from antennas of different polarization.

This disclosed technology also includes visual signals that notify auser of power transmission. For example, a wireless transmitter caninclude several light emitting diodes (LEDs) that illuminate when poweris transmitted from the wireless transmitter to a client device (e.g.,mobile device). The LEDs can be placed on top of the wireless powertransmitter, and the LEDs can function as a visual signal for users. Forexample, the LEDs turn on when power is transmitted. Additionally, thisdisclosed technology CCB can control the behavior of the LEDs to changein intensity, blink or change color in accordance with a programmablelibrary of cues. The disclosed technology provides a user with agraphical user interface (GUI) to view or modify power transmission toclients.

In some implementations, the disclosed technology has one or morebenefits. One benefit to placing the antennas on the front side of theboard and the power/control circuitry on the back side of the board isreducing interference between the power/control circuitry and theantennas. Another benefit is enhancing a user's experience with visualsignals and customization options. Other benefits will become apparentto those having ordinary skill in the art based on this disclosure.

Any headings provided herein are for convenience only and do notnecessarily affect the scope or meaning of the claimed invention.

I. Wireless Power Transmission System Overview/Architecture

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram including an example wireless powerdelivery environment 100 illustrating wireless power delivery from oneor more wireless power transmission systems (WPTS) 101 a-n (alsoreferred to as “wireless power delivery systems”, “antenna arraysystems” and “wireless chargers”) to various wireless devices 102 a-102n within the wireless power delivery environment 100, according to someembodiments. More specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates an example wirelesspower delivery environment 100 in which wireless power and/or data canbe delivered to available wireless devices 102 a-102 n having one ormore wireless power receiver clients 103 a-103 n (also referred toherein as “clients” and “wireless power receivers”). The wireless powerreceiver clients are configured to receive and process wireless powerfrom one or more wireless power transmission systems 101 a-101 n.Components of an example wireless power receiver client 103 are shownand discussed in greater detail with reference to FIG. 4.

As shown in the example of FIG. 1, the wireless devices 102 a-102 ninclude mobile phone devices and a wireless game controller. However,the wireless devices 102 a-102 n can be any device or system that needspower and is capable of receiving wireless power via one or moreintegrated wireless power receiver clients 103 a-103 n. As discussedherein, the one or more integrated wireless power receiver clientsreceive and process power from one or more wireless power transmissionsystems 101 a-101 n that provide the power to the wireless devices 102a-102 n (or internal batteries of the wireless devices) for operationthereof.

Each wireless power transmission system 101 can include multipleantennas 104 a-104 n, e.g., an antenna array including hundreds orthousands of antennas, which are capable of delivering wireless power towireless devices 102. In some embodiments, the antennas areadaptively-phased radio frequency (RF) antennas. The wireless powertransmission system 101 is capable of determining the appropriate phaseswith which to deliver a coherent power transmission signal to thewireless power receiver client 103. The array is configured to emit asignal (e.g., continuous wave or pulsed power transmission signal) frommultiple antennas at a specific phase relative to each other. It isappreciated that use of the term “array” does not necessarily limit theantenna array to any specific array structure. That is, the antennaarray does not need to be structured in a specific “array” form orgeometry. Furthermore, as used herein the term “array” or “array system”may include related and peripheral circuitry for signal generation,reception and transmission, such as radios, digital logic and modems. Insome embodiments, the wireless power transmission system 101 can have anembedded Wi-Fi hub for data communications via one or more antennas ortransceivers.

The wireless devices 102 can include one or more wireless power receiverclients 103. As illustrated in the example of FIG. 1, power deliveryantennas 104 a-104 n are shown. The power delivery antennas 104 a areconfigured to provide delivery of wireless radio frequency power in thewireless power delivery environment. In some embodiments, one or more ofthe power delivery antennas 104 a-104 n can alternatively oradditionally be configured for data communications in addition to or inlieu of wireless power delivery. The one or more data communicationantennas are configured to send data communications to and receive datacommunications from the wireless power receiver clients 103 a-103 nand/or the wireless devices 102 a-102 n. In some embodiments, the datacommunication antennas can communicate via Bluetooth™, Wi-Fi™, ZigBee™,etc. Other data communication protocols are also possible.

Each wireless power receiver client 103 a-103 n includes one or moreantennas (not shown) for receiving signals from the wireless powertransmission systems 101 a-101 n. Likewise, each wireless powertransmission system 101 a-101 n includes an antenna array having one ormore antennas and/or sets of antennas capable of emitting continuouswave or discrete (pulse) signals at specific phases relative to eachother. As discussed above, each the wireless power transmission systems101 a-101 n is capable of determining the appropriate phases fordelivering the coherent signals to the wireless power receiver clients102 a-102 n. For example, in some embodiments, coherent signals can bedetermined by computing the complex conjugate of a received beacon (orcalibration) signal at each antenna of the array such that the coherentsignal is phased for delivering power to the particular wireless powerreceiver client that transmitted the beacon (or calibration) signal.

Although not illustrated, each component of the environment, e.g.,wireless device, wireless power transmission system, etc., can includecontrol and synchronization mechanisms, e.g., a data communicationsynchronization module. The wireless power transmission systems 101a-101 n can be connected to a power source such as, for example, a poweroutlet or source connecting the wireless power transmission systems to astandard or primary alternating current (AC) power supply in a building.Alternatively, or additionally, one or more of the wireless powertransmission systems 101 a-101 n can be powered by a battery or viaother mechanisms, e.g., solar cells, etc.

The wireless power receiver clients 102 a-102 n and/or the wirelesspower transmission systems 101 a-101 n are configured to operate in amultipath wireless power delivery environment. That is, the wirelesspower receiver clients 102 a-102 n and the wireless power transmissionsystems 101 a-101 n are configured to utilize reflective objects 106such as, for example, walls or other RF reflective obstructions withinrange to transmit beacon (or calibration) signals and/or receivewireless power and/or data within the wireless power deliveryenvironment. The reflective objects 106 can be utilized formulti-directional signal communication regardless of whether a blockingobject is in the line of sight between the wireless power transmissionsystem and the wireless power receiver clients 103 a-103 n.

As described herein, each wireless device 102 a-102 n can be any systemand/or device, and/or any combination of devices/systems that canestablish a connection with another device, a server and/or othersystems within the example environment 100. In some embodiments, thewireless devices 102 a-102 n include displays or other outputfunctionalities to present data to a user and/or input functionalitiesto receive data from the user. By way of example, a wireless device 102can be, but is not limited to, a video game controller, a serverdesktop, a desktop computer, a computer cluster, a mobile computingdevice such as a notebook, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, amobile phone, a smart phone, a PDA, a Blackberry device, a Treo, and/oran iPhone, etc. By way of example and not limitation, the wirelessdevice 102 can also be any wearable device such as watches, necklaces,rings or even devices embedded on or within the customer. Other examplesof a wireless device 102 include, but are not limited to, safety sensors(e.g., fire or carbon monoxide), electric toothbrushes, electronic doorlock/handles, electric light switch controller, electric shavers, etc.

Although not illustrated in the example of FIG. 1, the wireless powertransmission system 101 and the wireless power receiver clients 103a-103 n can each include a data communication module for communicationvia a data channel. Alternatively, or additionally, the wireless powerreceiver clients 103 a-103 n can direct the wireless devices 102 a-102 nto communicate with the wireless power transmission system via existingdata communications modules. In some embodiments, the beacon signal,which is primarily referred to herein as a continuous waveform, canalternatively or additionally take the form of a modulated signal.

FIG. 2 depicts a sequence diagram 200 illustrating example operationsbetween a wireless power delivery system (e.g., WPTS 101) and a wirelesspower receiver client (e.g., wireless power receiver client 103) forestablishing wireless power delivery in a multipath wireless powerdelivery, according to an embodiment. Initially, communication isestablished between the wireless power transmission system 101 and thepower receiver client 103. The initial communication can be, forexample, a data communication link that is established via one or moreantennas 104 of the wireless power transmission system 101. Asdiscussed, in some embodiments, one or more of the antennas 104 a-104 ncan be data antennas, wireless power transmission antennas, ordual-purpose data/power antennas. Various information can be exchangedbetween the wireless power transmission system 101 and the wirelesspower receiver client 103 over this data communication channel. Forexample, wireless power signaling can be time sliced among variousclients in a wireless power delivery environment. In such cases, thewireless power transmission system 101 can send beacon scheduleinformation, e.g., Beacon Beat Schedule (BBS) cycle, or enhanced TonePower Schedule (TPS) power cycle information, etc., so that the wirelesspower receiver client 103 knows when to transmit (broadcast) its beaconsignals and when to listen for power, etc.

Continuing with the example of FIG. 2, the wireless power transmissionsystem 101 selects one or more wireless power receiver clients forreceiving power and sends the beacon schedule information to the selectwireless power receiver clients 103. The wireless power transmissionsystem 101 can also send power transmission scheduling information sothat the wireless power receiver client 103 knows when to expect (e.g.,a window of time) wireless power from the wireless power transmissionsystem. The wireless power receiver client 103 then generates a beacon(or calibration) signal and broadcasts the beacon during an assignedbeacon transmission window (or time slice) indicated by the beaconschedule information, e.g., Beacon Beat Schedule (BBS) or enhanced TonePower Schedule (TPS) cycle. As discussed herein, the wireless powerreceiver client 103 includes one or more antennas (or transceivers)which have a radiation and reception pattern in three-dimensional spaceproximate to the wireless device 102 in which the wireless powerreceiver client 103 is embedded.

The wireless power transmission system 101 receives the beacon from thepower receiver client 103 and detects and/or otherwise measures thephase (or direction) from which the beacon signal is received atmultiple antennas. The wireless power transmission system 101 thendelivers wireless power to the power receiver client 103 from themultiple antennas 103 based on the detected or measured phase (ordirection) of the received beacon at each of the corresponding antennas.In some embodiments, the wireless power transmission system 101determines the complex conjugate of the measured phase of the beacon anduses the complex conjugate to determine a transmit phase that configuresthe antennas for delivering and/or otherwise directing wireless power tothe wireless power receiver client 103 via the same path over which thebeacon signal was received from the wireless power receiver client 103.

In some embodiments, the wireless power transmission system 101 includesmany antennas. One or more of the many antennas may be used to deliverpower to the power receiver client 103. The wireless power transmissionsystem 101 can detect and/or otherwise determine or measure phases atwhich the beacon signals are received at each antenna. The large numberof antennas may result in different phases of the beacon signal beingreceived at each antenna of the wireless power transmission system 101.As discussed above, the wireless power transmission system 101 candetermine the complex conjugate of the beacon signals received at eachantenna. Using the complex conjugates, one or more antennas may emit asignal that takes into account the effects of the large number ofantennas in the wireless power transmission system 101. In other words,the wireless power transmission system 101 can emit a wireless powertransmission signal from the one or more antennas in such a way as tocreate an aggregate signal from the one or more of the antennas thatapproximately recreates the waveform of the beacon in the oppositedirection. Said another way, the wireless power transmission system 101can deliver wireless RF power to the wireless power receiver clients viathe same paths over which the beacon signal is received at the wirelesspower transmission system 101. These paths can utilize reflectiveobjects 106 within the environment. Additionally, the wireless powertransmission signals can be simultaneously transmitted from the wirelesspower transmission system 101 such that the wireless power transmissionsignals collectively match the antenna radiation and reception patternof the client device in a three-dimensional (3D) space proximate to theclient device.

As shown, the beacon (or calibration) signals can be periodicallytransmitted by wireless power receiver clients 103 within the powerdelivery environment according to, for example, the BBS, so that thewireless power transmission system 101 can maintain knowledge and/orotherwise track the location of the power receiver clients 103 in thewireless power delivery environment. The process of receiving beaconsignals from a wireless power receiver client 103 at the wireless powertransmission system and, in turn, responding with wireless powerdirected to that particular wireless power receiver client is referredto herein as retrodirective wireless power delivery.

Furthermore, as discussed herein, wireless power can be delivered inpower cycles defined by power schedule information. A more detailedexample of the signaling required to commence wireless power delivery isdescribed now with reference to FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram illustrating example components of awireless power transmission system 300, in accordance with anembodiment. As illustrated in the example of FIG. 3, the wirelesscharger 300 includes a master bus controller (MBC) board and multiplemezzanine boards that collectively comprise the antenna array. The MBCincludes control logic 310, an external data interface (I/F) 315, anexternal power interface (I/F) 320, a communication block 330 and proxy340. The mezzanine (or antenna array boards 350) each include multipleantennas 360 a-360 n. Some or all of the components can be omitted insome embodiments. Additional components are also possible. For example,in some embodiments only one of communication block 330 or proxy 340 maybe included.

The control logic 310 is configured to provide control and intelligenceto the array components. The control logic 310 may comprise one or moreprocessors, FPGAs, memory units, etc., and direct and control thevarious data and power communications. The communication block 330 candirect data communications on a data carrier frequency, such as the basesignal clock for clock synchronization. The data communications can beBluetooth™, Wi-Fi™, ZigBee™, etc., including combinations or variationsthereof. Likewise, the proxy 340 can communicate with clients via datacommunications as discussed herein. The data communications can be, byway of example and not limitation, Bluetooth™, Wi-Fi™, ZigBee™, etc.Other communication protocols are possible.

In some embodiments, the control logic 310 can also facilitate and/orotherwise enable data aggregation for Internet of Things (IoT) devices.In some embodiments, wireless power receiver clients can access, trackand/or otherwise obtain IoT information about the device in which thewireless power receiver client is embedded and provide that IoTinformation to the wireless power transmission system 300 over a dataconnection. This IoT information can be provided to via an external datainterface 315 to a central or cloud-based system (not shown) where thedata can be aggregated, processed, etc. For example, the central systemcan process the data to identify various trends across geographies,wireless power transmission systems, environments, devices, etc. In someembodiments, the aggregated data and or the trend data can be used toimprove operation of the devices via remote updates, etc. Alternatively,or additionally, in some embodiments, the aggregated data can beprovided to third party data consumers. In this manner, the wirelesspower transmission system acts as a Gateway or Enabler for the IoTs. Byway of example and not limitation, the IoT information can includecapabilities of the device in which the wireless power receiver clientis embedded, usage information of the device, power levels of thedevice, information obtained by the device or the wireless powerreceiver client itself, e.g., via sensors, etc.

The external power interface 320 is configured to receive external powerand provide the power to various components. In some embodiments, theexternal power interface 320 may be configured to receive a standardexternal 24 Volt power supply. In other embodiments, the external powerinterface 320 can be, for example, 120/240 Volt AC mains to an embeddedDC power supply which sources the required 12/24/48 Volt DC to providethe power to various components. Alternatively, the external powerinterface could be a DC supply which sources the required 12/24/48 VoltsDC. Alternative configurations are also possible.

In operation, the master bus controller (MBC), which controls thewireless power transmission system 300, receives power from a powersource and is activated. The MBC then activates the proxy antennaelements on the wireless power transmission system and the proxy antennaelements enter a default “discovery” mode to identify available wirelessreceiver clients within range of the wireless power transmission system.When a client is found, the antenna elements on the wireless powertransmission system power on, enumerate, and (optionally) calibrate.

The MBC then generates beacon transmission scheduling information andpower transmission scheduling information during a scheduling process.The scheduling process includes selection of power receiver clients. Forexample, the MBC can select power receiver clients for powertransmission and generate a Beacon Beat Schedule (BBS) cycle and a PowerSchedule (PS) for the selected wireless power receiver clients. Asdiscussed herein, the power receiver clients can be selected based ontheir corresponding properties and/or requirements.

In some embodiments, the MBC can also identify and/or otherwise selectavailable clients that will have their status queried in the ClientQuery Table (CQT). Clients that are placed in the CQT are those on“standby”, e.g., not receiving a charge. The BBS and PS are calculatedbased on vital information about the clients such as, for example,battery status, current activity/usage, how much longer the client hasuntil it runs out of power, priority in terms of usage, etc.

The Proxy Antenna Element (AE) or a proxy radio integrated into a CCBcan broadcast the BBS to all clients. As discussed herein, the BBSindicates when each client should send a beacon. Likewise, the PSindicates when and to which clients the array should send power to andwhen clients should listen for wireless power. Each client startsbroadcasting its beacon and receiving power from the array per the BBSand PS. The Proxy AE can concurrently query the Client Query Table tocheck the status of other available clients. In some embodiments, aclient can only exist in the BBS or the CQT (e.g., waitlist), but not inboth. The information collected in the previous step continuously and/orperiodically updates the BBS cycle and/or the PS.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating example components of a wirelesspower receiver client 400, in accordance with some embodiments. Asillustrated in the example of FIG. 4, the receiver 400 includes controllogic 410, battery 420, an IoT control module 425, communication block430 and associated antenna 470, power meter 440, rectifier 450, acombiner 455, beacon signal generator 460, beacon coding unit 462 and anassociated antenna 480, and switch 465 connecting the rectifier 450 orthe beacon signal generator 460 to one or more associated antennas 490a-n. Some or all of the components can be omitted in some embodiments.For example, in some embodiments, the wireless power receiver client 400does not include its own antennas but instead utilizes and/or otherwiseshares one or more antennas (e.g., Wi-Fi antenna) of the wireless devicein which the wireless power receiver client is embedded. Moreover, insome embodiments, the wireless power receiver client may include asingle antenna that provides data transmission functionality as well aspower/data reception functionality. Additional components are alsopossible.

A combiner 455 receives and combines the received power transmissionsignals from the power transmitter in the event that the receiver 400has more than one antenna. The combiner can be any combiner or dividercircuit that is configured to achieve isolation between the output portswhile maintaining a matched condition. For example, the combiner 455 canbe a Wilkinson Power Divider circuit. The rectifier 450 receives thecombined power transmission signal from the combiner 455, if present,which is fed through the power meter 440 to the battery 420 forcharging. In other embodiments, each antenna's power path can have itsown rectifier 450 and the DC power out of the rectifiers is combinedprior to feeding the power meter 440. The power meter 440 can measurethe received power signal strength and provides the control logic 410with this measurement.

Battery 420 can include protection circuitry and/or monitoringfunctions. Additionally, the battery 420 can include one or morefeatures, including, but not limited to, current limiting, temperatureprotection, over/under voltage alerts and protection, and coulombmonitoring.

The control logic 410 receives and processes the battery power levelfrom the battery 420 itself. The control logic 410 may alsotransmit/receive via the communication block 430 a data signal on a datacarrier frequency, such as the base signal clock for clocksynchronization. The beacon signal generator 460 generates the beaconsignal, or calibration signal, transmits the beacon signal using eitherthe antenna 480 or 490 after the beacon signal is encoded.

It may be noted that, although the battery 420 is shown as charged by,and providing power to, the wireless power receiver client 400, thereceiver may also receive its power directly from the rectifier 450.This may be in addition to the rectifier 450 providing charging currentto the battery 420, or in lieu of providing charging. Also, it may benoted that the use of multiple antennas is one example of implementationand the structure may be reduced to one shared antenna.

In some embodiments, the control logic 410 and/or the IoT control module425 can communicate with and/or otherwise derive IoT information fromthe device in which the wireless power receiver client 400 is embedded.Although not shown, in some embodiments, the wireless power receiverclient 400 can have one or more data connections (wired or wireless)with the device in which the wireless power receiver client 400 isembedded over which IoT information can be obtained. Alternatively, oradditionally, IoT information can be determined and/or inferred by thewireless power receiver client 400, e.g., via one or more sensors. Asdiscussed above, the IoT information can include, but is not limited to,information about the capabilities of the device in which the wirelesspower receiver client 400 is embedded, usage information of the devicein which the wireless power receiver client 400 is embedded, powerlevels of the battery or batteries of the device in which the wirelesspower receiver client 400 is embedded, and/or information obtained orinferred by the device in which the wireless power receiver client isembedded or the wireless power receiver client itself, e.g., viasensors, etc.

In some embodiments, a client identifier (ID) module 415 stores a clientID that can uniquely identify the wireless power receiver client 400 ina wireless power delivery environment. For example, the ID can betransmitted to one or more wireless power transmission systems whencommunication is established. In some embodiments, wireless powerreceiver clients may also be able to receive and identify other wirelesspower receiver clients in a wireless power delivery environment based onthe client ID.

An optional motion sensor 495 can detect motion and signal the controllogic 410 to act accordingly. For example, a device receiving power mayintegrate motion detection mechanisms such as accelerometers orequivalent mechanisms to detect motion. Once the device detects that itis in motion, it may be assumed that it is being handled by a user, andwould trigger a signal to the array to either to stop transmittingpower, or to lower the power transmitted to the device. In someembodiments, when a device is used in a moving environment like a car,train or plane, the power might only be transmitted intermittently or ata reduced level unless the device is critically low on power.

FIGS. 5A and 5B depict diagrams illustrating an example multipathwireless power delivery environment 500, according to some embodiments.The multipath wireless power delivery environment 500 includes a useroperating a wireless device 502 including one or more wireless powerreceiver clients 503. The wireless device 502 and the one or morewireless power receiver clients 503 can be wireless device 102 of FIG. 1and wireless power receiver client 103 of FIG. 1 or wireless powerreceiver client 400 of FIG. 4, respectively, although alternativeconfigurations are possible. Likewise, wireless power transmissionsystem 501 can be wireless power transmission system 101 of FIG. 1 orwireless power transmission system 300 of FIG. 3, although alternativeconfigurations are possible. The multipath wireless power deliveryenvironment 500 includes reflective objects 506 and various absorptiveobjects, e.g., users, or humans, furniture, etc.

Wireless device 502 includes one or more antennas (or transceivers) thathave a radiation and reception pattern 510 in three-dimensional spaceproximate to the wireless device 102. The one or more antennas (ortransceivers) can be wholly or partially included as part of thewireless device 102 and/or the wireless power receiver client (notshown). For example, in some embodiments one or more antennas, e.g.,Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. of the wireless device 502 can be utilized and/orotherwise shared for wireless power reception. As shown in the exampleof FIGS. 5A and 5B, the radiation and reception pattern 510 comprises alobe pattern with a primary lobe and multiple side lobes. Other patternsare also possible.

The wireless device 502 transmits a beacon (or calibration) signal overmultiple paths to the wireless power transmission system 501. Asdiscussed herein, the wireless device 502 transmits the beacon in thedirection of the radiation and reception pattern 510 such that thestrength of the received beacon signal by the wireless powertransmission system, e.g., received signal strength indication (RSSI),depends on the radiation and reception pattern 510. For example, beaconsignals are not transmitted where there are nulls in the radiation andreception pattern 510 and beacon signals are the strongest at the peaksin the radiation and reception pattern 510, e.g., peak of the primarylobe. As shown in the example of FIG. 5A, the wireless device 502transmits beacon signals over five paths P1-P5. Paths P4 and P5 areblocked by reflective and/or absorptive object 506. The wireless powertransmission system 501 receives beacon signals of increasing strengthsvia paths P1-P3. The bolder lines indicate stronger signals. In someembodiments, the beacon signals are directionally transmitted in thismanner, for example, to avoid unnecessary RF energy exposure to theuser.

A fundamental property of antennas is that the receiving pattern(sensitivity as a function of direction) of an antenna when used forreceiving is identical to the far-field radiation pattern of the antennawhen used for transmitting. This is a consequence of the reciprocitytheorem in electromagnetism. As shown in the example of FIGS. 5A and 5B,the radiation and reception pattern 510 is a three-dimensional lobeshape. However, the radiation and reception pattern 510 can be anynumber of shapes depending on the type or types, e.g., horn antennas,simple vertical antenna, etc. used in the antenna design. For example,the radiation and reception pattern 510 can comprise various directivepatterns. Any number of different antenna radiation and receptionpatterns are possible for each of multiple client devices in a wirelesspower delivery environment.

Referring again to FIG. 5A, the wireless power transmission system 501receives the beacon (or calibration) signal via multiple paths P1-P3 atmultiple antennas or transceivers. As shown, paths P2 and P3 are directline of sight paths while path P1 is a non-line of sight path. Once thebeacon (or calibration) signal is received by the wireless powertransmission system 501, the power transmission system 501 processes thebeacon (or calibration) signal to determine one or more receivecharacteristics of the beacon signal at each of the multiple antennas.For example, among other operations, the wireless power transmissionsystem 501 can measure the phases at which the beacon signal is receivedat each of the multiple antennas or transceivers.

The wireless power transmission system 501 processes the one or morereceive characteristics of the beacon signal at each of the multipleantennas to determine or measure one or more wireless power transmitcharacteristics for each of the multiple RF transceivers based on theone or more receive characteristics of the beacon (or calibration)signal as measured at the corresponding antenna or transceiver. By wayof example and not limitation, the wireless power transmitcharacteristics can include phase settings for each antenna ortransceiver, transmission power settings, etc.

As discussed herein, the wireless power transmission system 501determines the wireless power transmit characteristics such that, oncethe antennas or transceivers are configured, the multiple antennas ortransceivers are operable to transit a wireless power signal thatmatches the client radiation and reception pattern in thethree-dimensional space proximate to the client device. FIG. 5Billustrates the wireless power transmission system 501 transmittingwireless power via paths P1-P3 to the wireless device 502.Advantageously, as discussed herein, the wireless power signal matchesthe client radiation and reception pattern 510 in the three-dimensionalspace proximate to the client device. Said another way, the wirelesspower transmission system will transmit the wireless power signals inthe direction in which the wireless power receiver has maximum gain,e.g., will receive the most wireless power. As a result, no signals aresent in directions in which the wireless power receiver cannot receiver,e.g., nulls and blockages. In some embodiments, the wireless powertransmission system 501 measures the RSSI of the received beacon signaland if the beacon is less than a threshold value, the wireless powertransmission system will not send wireless power over that path.

The three paths shown in the example of FIGS. 5A and 5B are illustratedfor simplicity, it is appreciated that any number of paths can beutilized for transmitting power to the wireless device 502 depending on,among other factors, reflective and absorptive objects in the wirelesspower delivery environment.

Although the example of FIG. 5A illustrates transmitting a beacon (orcalibration) signal in the direction of the radiation and receptionpattern 510, it is appreciated that, in some embodiments, beacon signalscan alternatively or additionally be omnidirectionally transmitted.

II. Central Controller Boards for Wireless Power Battery ChargingSystems

Some embodiments of the disclosed technology generally relate to awireless power transmitter and antenna configurations for transmittingwireless power to a client or multiple clients. In some implementations,the wireless power transmitter includes boards, where each board hasmultiple antennas (also referred to herein as “antenna module board(AMB)”). The antennas are on one side of each board and control andpower circuitry are on the reverse side. The antennas emit EM radiation,and the client or clients receive, store, or use this EM radiation.

The antenna boards also can be arranged in a configuration to increase(e.g., optimize) the amount of power transmitted to clients. Forexample, the antenna boards can be arranged in groups of AMBs (e.g.,groups of two, four, or more) daisy chained or interconnected with acentral controller board. In some embodiments, two of the four AMBs canbe oriented 180 degrees from the other two. Each board can support dualport antennas that can drive circular polarizations left or right hand.In some embodiments, antennas on a first board singular port arehorizontally polarized and antennas on a second board are verticallypolarized. In other embodiments, the antennas can be polarized in acircular orientation depending on the port configuration. Having AMBswith different antenna polarizations can mitigate an undesired effect ofdestructive interference. Also, a client generally receives power moreefficiently from differently polarized antennas.

In some embodiments, the disclosed technology has one or more benefits.One benefit to placing the antennas on the front side of the board andthe power/control circuitry on the back side is reducing interferencebetween the power/control circuitry and the antennas. Another benefit isenhancing a user's experience with visual signals and customizationoptions. Other benefits will become apparent to those having ordinaryskill in the art based on this disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example wireless communication andpower delivery charging system 600 depicting wireless power deliverycapabilities from one or more wireless transmitter antenna boards 610an-610 dn to various wireless devices within the wireless communicationand power delivery environment.

The wireless client device receivers not shown in this disclosure forsystem upgrade are mobile phone devices or a wireless game controller,although the wireless devices can be any (smart or dumb) wireless deviceor system that needs power (e.g., battery recharging power) and can becapable of receiving wireless power via one or more integrated powerreceiver client integrated circuit (IC). Smart devices are electronicdevices that can communicate (e.g., using Wi-Fi) and transmit beaconsignals. Dumb devices are electronic devices that are passive devicesthat may not communicate (e.g., no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi capability) andmay not transmit a beacon signal. As discussed herein, the one or moreintegrated power receiver clients, or “wireless power receivers,”receive and process power from one or more transmitter chargers andprovide the power to the wireless devices for operation thereof.

Each transmitter 600 can also be referred to herein as a “charger,”“array of antennas,” or “antenna array system” 610 an-610 dn of FIG. 6and can include multiple antennas (e.g., an antenna array includinghundreds or thousands of spaced-apart antennas) that are each capable ofdelivering wireless power to wireless devices. Each transmitter can alsodeliver wireless communication signals to wireless devices. In someembodiments, the wireless power and wireless communication signals canbe delivered as a combined power/communication signal. Indeed, while thedetailed description provided herein focuses on the charging systemupgrade improvements and novelties, aspects of the enhancement inventionare equally applicable to wirelessly transmitting data such as shown inFIG. 6 blocks 630 and 650.

In some embodiments, the antennas are adaptively-phased radio frequencyantennas and the transmitter utilizes a novel phase-shifting algorithmas described in one or more of U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,558,661, 8,159,364,8,410,953, 8,446,248, 8,854,176, or U.S. patent application Ser. Nos.14/461,332 and 14/815,893. These patents and patent application arehereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

The transmitter 600 can be capable of determining the appropriate phasesto deliver a coherent power transmission signal to the power receiverclients. The array can be configured to emit a signal (e.g., acontinuous wave or a pulsed power transmission signal) from multipleantennas at a specific phase relative to each other. Additionally, thetransmitter can include a time delayed retro-directive radio frequency(RF) holographic array that delivers wireless RF power that matches theclient antenna patterns in three-dimensional (3D) space (polarization,shape, and power levels of each lobe). It is appreciated that use of theterm “array” does not necessarily limit the antenna array to anyspecific array structure. That is, the antenna array does not need to bestructured in a specific “array” form or geometry. Furthermore, as usedherein, the term “array” or “array system” can be used to includerelated and peripheral circuitry for signal generation, reception, andtransmission, such as in radios, digital logic, and modems. The antennaarray can be connected to the respective AMB board 610 a-610 d by way ofa special designed mechanical form, fit and holding structure thatsupports the AMB connection to the CCB board (see, e.g., FIG. 8).

The wireless devices can include one or more power receiver clients(also known as “wireless power receivers”). The power delivery antennasare configured to provide delivery of wireless radio frequency power inthe wireless power delivery environment. The Proxy 630 can include datacommunication antennas that are configured to send data communicationsto and receive data communications from the power receiver clientsand/or the wireless devices. In some charging system embodiments, thedata communication antennas can communicate with a client receiver viaBluetooth™, Wi-Fi, ZigBee™, or other wireless communication protocols.

Each power receiver client includes one or more antennas not shown inthis disclosure for receiving signals from the transmitters. Thereceiver IC and description are referenced to the prior older modeldesign. Likewise, each transmitter includes an antenna array having oneor more antennas and/or sets of antennas capable of emitting continuouswave signals at specific phases relative to each other. As discussedabove, each array can be capable of determining the appropriate phasesfor delivering coherent signals to the power receiver clients. Forexample, coherent signals can be determined by computing the complexconjugate of a received beacon signal at each antenna of the array suchthat the coherent signal can be properly phased for the particular powerreceiver client that transmitted the beacon signal. The beacon signal,which is primarily referred to herein as a continuous waveform, canalternatively or additionally take the form of a modulated signal.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 6, each system component of theenvironment (e.g., wireless power receiver, transmitter, etc.) caninclude control and synchronization mechanisms, such as a datacommunication synchronization module. The transmitters are connected toa power source such as, for example, a power outlet or source connectingthe transmitters to a standard or primary alternating current (AC) powersupply in a building. In some embodiments, one or more of thetransmitter systems 601 can be powered by a battery or via anotherpower-providing mechanism. FIG. 6 660 is a new power brick AC to DCpower supply with capability of 600 Watts at 12 Volts output and lessthan 50 my of ripple. The system can include one power brick per CCBboard installed per transmitter charging system.

FIG. 6 620 is a block diagram illustrating the components comprising thecharger Central Controller system. The central block is the CCB 630board that houses the embedded CCB processor and embedded Proxycommunications connections. The Ethernet Wi-Fi Router 650 can beexternally connected to the CCB 630 board. The Ethernet Wi-Fi Routerprovides communication to the Cloud for data storage and retrieval. TheThermal Management component 640 can provide temperature measurements tothe CCB processor for LED user warnings and system protection and RFsignal compensation. The CCB 630 can be connected to the AMB boards. Theredesign enhancement reduced the number of AMB boards 610 a-610 d by anew physical board facing scheme and connector FIG. 8 in whichpolarization of signal transmission and reception does not interferedestructively.

In some embodiments, the power receiver clients and/or the transmittersutilize or encounter reflective objects such as, for example, walls orother RF reflective obstructions within range to beacon and deliverand/or receive wireless power and/or data within the wireless powerdelivery environment. The reflective objects can be utilized formulti-directional signal path communications regardless of whether ablocking object is in the line of sight between the transmitter and thepower receiver client.

Each wireless device can be any system and/or device, and/or anycombination of devices/systems that can establish a connection withanother device, a server and/or other systems within the exampleenvironment FIG. 6 600. In some embodiments, the wireless devicesinclude displays or other output functionalities to present data to auser and/or input functionalities to receive data from the user. By wayof example, a wireless device can be, but is not limited to, a videogame controller, a server desktop, a desktop computer, a computercluster, or a mobile computing device (such as a notebook, a laptopcomputer, a handheld computer, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a batteryor component coupled to a battery, a PDA, etc.). The client receiverwireless device can also be any wearable device such as watches,necklaces, rings, or even devices embedded on or within the customerclothing. Other examples of a wireless device include, but are notlimited to, safety sensors (e.g., fire or carbon monoxide), electrictoothbrushes, electronic door locks/handles, electric light switchcontrollers, electric shavers, etc.

Illustrated in the example of FIG. 6, the charger CCB and the powerreceiver clients can each include a data communication module Proxy 630for communication via a data channel. In various embodiments, the powerreceiver clients can direct the wireless devices to communicate with thecharger via existing data communications modules. In some embodiments,the charger transmission system can be comprised of a CCS, a PowerSupply 12 V brick 660, a CCB 630 for controlling the AMB boards 610a-610 d for transmit and receive functions a thermal managementsub-controller 640 and a new Ethernet communication system 650 to aCloud interface for storing protected client data.

FIG. 7 700 is a block diagram of the CCB board. The block diagramillustrates at wireless charger model layout of the CCB where the Proxy750 and Processor 720 (e.g., Computer Processor Unit (CPU) 720) arelocated on board saving reduction in wiring, components and softwarehandshaking code. The immediate enhancement effects of moving thesecomponents on board are wiring reduction, component reduction, lesssoftware/firmware code and higher clock speeds on the bus. In accordancewith some embodiments, the FPGA processor 725, EEPROM 710, power brick780, slave CCB interface 730, AMB interface 740, Proxy 750 and Wi-Ficommunication 760 and Ethernet interface 745 can include a variety ofsignificant enhancement change upgrades. For example, the Proxy 750 canbe embedded onto the CCB reducing the physical space requirement for asystem assembly. The Proxy 750 can be a high speed processor datacommunications interface providing Zig-Bee and Blue-Tooth communicationsprotocols to interface with the client receiver. The Proxy 750 may haveits own antenna 770 for sending or receiving a client signal. The numberof AMB boards 740 can be decreased (e.g., from 16 to 4) to make this anoverall more efficient hardware space saving system assemblyconstruction. Larger systems may have increased number of AMBs.

A new designed connector FIG. 8 800 allows the AMB board connector 740to mate with the CCB boards 600. The connector shown in FIG. 8 willsupport four AMB panels. AMB0-1 are the same design as AMB2-3, butAMB2-3 are rotated 180 degrees to AMB0-1. Security for the client ID,and charger ID, password and IP address can be stored in the EEPROM 710and can be used by the FPGA 720 and processor 725 to validate theintegrity of the receiver client request for battery charging power. Thesystem clock speed from can be increased from 24 MHz to 122.5 MHz whichgives more time to provide reference and generation of the RF signals onthe AMB for client validation and steering the antenna arrays to thespecific location as requested by the client beacon. It is noteworthythat the system clock can be configured by the CPU for best performanceand stability of the RF signals. The CCB can use a single power supplybrick 780 which also provides power to all the other boards itinterfaces with. There is one brick required per CCB in a systemconfiguration in some embodiments. The number of CCB boards 700 in asystem is dependent on the number of antenna arrays required for theenvironment in which the client is located and will use the wirelesscharger to charge a receiver device battery. The headers noted attachedon the block diagram 725 are for interfacing diagnostic tools to theprogrammer or engineer responsible for the design and check out.

In some embodiments, the charger transmitter includes many antennas, oneor more of which are used to deliver power to the power receiver client.The transmitter can detect phases of the beacon signals that arereceived at each antenna. The large number of antennas can result indifferent beacon signals being received at each antenna of thetransmitter. The transmitter can then utilize the algorithm or processdescribed in one or more of U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,558,661, 8,159,364,8,410,953, 8,446,248, 8,854,176, and U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNos. 62/146,233 and 62/163,964. These patents and patent applicationsare hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

In accordance with various embodiments, the software algorithm orprocess can determine how to emit signals from one or more antennas andtake into account the effects of the large number of antennas in thetransmitter. In other words, the software algorithm determines how toemit signals from one or more antennas in such a way as to create anaggregate signal from the transmitter that approximately recreates thewaveform of the beacon, but in the opposite direction.

FIG. 8 800 is a block diagram illustrating an example enhanced AMBmechanical interface layout mounting connector for connection to a CCBboard and antenna array. The mounting allows each AMB0-3 a facingposition for the antennas so destructive interference is minimized. Byreversing the facing positions of the connecting antenna arrays, theywill not interfere by way of transmitting or receiving RF energy. Someor all of the components can be omitted in some embodiments. Additionalor fewer components are also possible. Proper polarization of theantenna arrays can be achieved by the various arrangements which allowsfewer AMB boards to accomplish power delivery better than normal for thetraditional systems. Although some embodiments require fewer AMB boards,some embodiments of the AMB board support a new antenna array chip thatcontains more antenna control and with which provides betterconcentration of transmitted radiant power to the client receiver thanthe previous design and reduced cost and construction complexity. Stillyet, some embodiments may have ICs for antenna control do not containany antennas themselves. As such, one IC can drive multiple antennas andreduce system cost and complexity.

FIG. 9 900 is a system overview block diagram illustrating variousembodiments and an example system configuration with CCB boards 930a-930 d, though other combinations and variations are possible. Asshown, a Master Slave controller formation where the number of CCB's canvary dependent of the number of client receiver desires and theenvironment the system has to operate in. The purpose of adding moreCCBs is to add more AMBs to the system. This allows a higher powerdelivery, increased range, increased efficiency and supports a largerbase of client receivers in the environment. The number of power supplycan bricks 910 a-910 d increase, in accordance with various embodiments,as the number of CCB boards 930 a-930 d and AMB boards increase. Inother embodiments, all CCBs and AMBs may be run from a single powerbrick. As the number of CCB boards increase, the number of AMB boardscan also increase and likewise the number of antenna arrays can increasegiving the four CCB board configuration the best configuration toconcentrate delivery of battery charging to the receiver client andconversely with more antennas the charger system can accurately locatethe receiver client that signals a need for a battery recharge process.

FIG. 10 1000 is a block diagram of the new Proxy ZigBee communicationscomponent CC2650 manufactured by Texas Instrument and installed on theCCB board as a surface mounted device (SMD). The Proxy device 1000 cancommunicate with a client receiver device to gain location direction inwhich the CPU of the charger system directs the AMBs to send directedpower to charge a battery, exchange client data and interface with theCCB FPGA and Processor for client updates such as client receiverlocation change. By embedding this technology on the CCB board, thedesign gains in system assembly space, a reduction of wires and cables,and gains in speed of processing response to and from the clientreceiver. The Proxy antenna 1010 can be mounted external to the SMDProxy device in some embodiments and on the CCB from otherconfigurations. The Proxy assembly SMD on the CCB board saves systemassembly space and enhances the communication between the charger andclient receiver with more integrity than the older system did. Variousembodiments of the Charger CCB design can be encompassed in variousform, fit, function, fabrication, efficiency and cost implementations tomeet the needs of the client and market and delivery a better workingproduct.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an antenna matrix board in accordance withsome embodiments. The AMB illustrated in FIG. 11 can be powered by 3.7Vin some embodiments. The CCB interfaces with the AMB which can beconnected to multiple antennas as shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is a blockdiagram illustrating a CCB and multiple AMBs capable of communicatingwith a client device in accordance with some embodiments. Thesecommunications can include various beacons and communication signals forsetting the timing of the power transmission.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a layout for multiple retrodirectiveantennae coupled to AMBs on the antenna side of the AMB in accordancewith some embodiments. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 13, eachCCB can be mechanically coupled to four AMBs on a first side and on theother side of the AMB, the antennas are mounted. The AMBs can includedual port antennas so that two of the AMBs can be rotated 180 degrees tominimize interference. In accordance with various embodiments, fans mayor may not be used to cool the system.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of connector componentsused on some CCB designs. The illustration shows subminiature version A(SMA) connectors, through hole mounts (SMT) and edge mount components inaccordance with some embodiments. The SMA connectors 1410 are used inthe design of the enhanced CCB board fabrication and assembly processchanges and surface mounting mechanical interfacing. These connectorsassure the integrity of the high frequency clocking for the Proxy,Ethernet communication bus data traffic and ensures RF interference willnot be a problem within the operating wireless environment.

FIG. 15 depicts a block diagram illustrating example components of arepresentative mobile device or tablet computer 1500 with a wirelesspower receiver or client in the form of a mobile (or smart) phone ortablet computer device, according to an embodiment. Various interfacesand modules are shown with reference to FIG. 15, however, the mobiledevice or tablet computer does not require all of the modules orfunctions for performing the functionality described herein. It isappreciated that, in many embodiments, various components are notincluded and/or necessary for operation of the category controller. Forexample, components such as Global Positioning System (GPS) radios,cellular radios, and accelerometers may not be included in thecontrollers to reduce costs and/or complexity. Additionally, componentssuch as ZigBee™ radios and RFID transceivers, along with antennas, canpopulate the Printed Circuit Board.

The wireless power receiver client can be a power receiver client 103 ofFIG. 1, although alternative configurations are possible. Additionally,the wireless power receiver client can include one or more RF antennasfor reception of power and/or data signals from a power transmissionsystem, e.g., wireless power transmission system 101 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 16 depicts a diagrammatic representation of a machine, in theexample form, of a computer system within which a set of instructions,for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein, may be executed.

In the example of FIG. 16, the computer system includes a processor,memory, non-volatile memory, and an interface device. Various commoncomponents (e.g., cache memory) are omitted for illustrative simplicity.The computer system 1600 is intended to illustrate a hardware device onwhich any of the components depicted in the example of FIG. 1 (and anyother components described in this specification) can be implemented.For example, the computer system can be any radiating object or antennaarray system. The computer system can be of any applicable known orconvenient type. The components of the computer system can be coupledtogether via a bus or through some other known or convenient device.

The processor may be, for example, a conventional microprocessor such asan Intel Pentium microprocessor or Motorola power PC microprocessor. Oneof skill in the relevant art will recognize that the terms“machine-readable (storage) medium” or “computer-readable (storage)medium” include any type of device that is accessible by the processor.

The memory is coupled to the processor by, for example, a bus. Thememory can include, by way of example but not limitation, random accessmemory (RAM), such as dynamic RAM (DRAM) and static RAM (SRAM). Thememory can be local, remote, or distributed.

The bus also couples the processor to the non-volatile memory and driveunit. The non-volatile memory is often a magnetic floppy or hard disk, amagnetic-optical disk, an optical disk, a read-only memory (ROM), suchas a CD-ROM, EPROM, or EEPROM, a magnetic or optical card, or anotherform of storage for large amounts of data. Some of this data is oftenwritten, by a direct memory access process, into memory during executionof software in the computer 1200. The non-volatile storage can be local,remote, or distributed. The non-volatile memory is optional becausesystems can be created with all applicable data available in memory. Atypical computer system will usually include at least a processor,memory, and a device (e.g., a bus) coupling the memory to the processor.

Software is typically stored in the non-volatile memory and/or the driveunit. Indeed, for large programs, it may not even be possible to storethe entire program in the memory. Nevertheless, it should be understoodthat for software to run, if necessary, it is moved to a computerreadable location appropriate for processing, and for illustrativepurposes, that location is referred to as the memory in this paper. Evenwhen software is moved to the memory for execution, the processor willtypically make use of hardware registers to store values associated withthe software, and local cache that, ideally, serves to speed upexecution. As used herein, a software program is assumed to be stored atany known or convenient location (from non-volatile storage to hardwareregisters) when the software program is referred to as “implemented in acomputer-readable medium”. A processor is considered to be “configuredto execute a program” when at least one value associated with theprogram is stored in a register readable by the processor.

The bus also couples the processor to the network interface device. Theinterface can include one or more of a modem or network interface. Itwill be appreciated that a modem or network interface can be consideredto be part of the computer system. The interface can include an analogmodem, ISDN modem, cable modem, token ring interface, satellitetransmission interface (e.g. “direct PC”), or other interfaces forcoupling a computer system to other computer systems. The interface caninclude one or more input and/or output devices. The I/O devices caninclude, by way of example but not limitation, a keyboard, a mouse orother pointing device, disk drives, printers, a scanner, and other inputand/or output devices, including a display device. The display devicecan include, by way of example but not limitation, a cathode ray tube(CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), or some other applicable known orconvenient display device. For simplicity, it is assumed thatcontrollers of any devices not depicted in the example of FIG. 16 residein the interface.

In operation, the computer system 1600 can be controlled by operatingsystem software that includes a file management system, such as a diskoperating system. One example of operating system software withassociated file management system software is the family of operatingsystems known as Windows® from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.,and their associated file management systems. Another example ofoperating system software with its associated file management systemsoftware is the Linux operating system and its associated filemanagement system. The file management system is typically stored in thenon-volatile memory and/or drive unit and causes the processor toexecute the various acts required by the operating system to input andoutput data and to store data in the memory, including storing files onthe non-volatile memory and/or drive unit.

Some portions of the detailed description may be presented in terms ofalgorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bitswithin a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions andrepresentations are the means used by those skilled in the dataprocessing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their workto others skilled in the art. An algorithm is here, and generally,conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of operations leading to adesired result. The operations are those requiring physicalmanipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily,these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capableof being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwisemanipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasonsof common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements,symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar termsare to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and aremerely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unlessspecifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the followingdiscussion, it is appreciated that throughout the description,discussions utilizing terms such as “processing” or “computing” or“calculating” or “determining” or “displaying” or the like, refer to theaction and processes of a computer system, or similar electroniccomputing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented asphysical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registersand memories into other data similarly represented as physicalquantities within the computer system memories or registers or othersuch information storage, transmission or display devices.

The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently relatedto any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general purposesystems may be used with programs in accordance with the teachingsherein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specializedapparatus to perform the methods of some embodiments. The requiredstructure for a variety of these systems will appear from thedescription below. In addition, the techniques are not described withreference to any particular programming language, and variousembodiments may thus be implemented using a variety of programminglanguages.

In alternative embodiments, the machine operates as a standalone deviceor may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networkeddeployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or aclient machine in a client-server network environment or as a peermachine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment.

The machine may be a server computer, a client computer, a personalcomputer (PC), a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a set-top box (STB), apersonal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, an iPhone, aBlackberry, a processor, a telephone, a web appliance, a network router,switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set ofinstructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be takenby that machine.

While the machine-readable medium or machine-readable storage medium isshown in an exemplary embodiment to be a single medium, the term“machine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storage medium” shouldbe taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., acentralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches andservers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term“machine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encodingor carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and thatcause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of thepresently disclosed technique and innovation.

In general, the routines executed to implement the embodiments of thedisclosure, may be implemented as part of an operating system or aspecific application, component, program, object, module or sequence ofinstructions referred to as “computer programs.” The computer programstypically comprise one or more instructions set at various times invarious memory and storage devices in a computer, and that, when readand executed by one or more processing units or processors in acomputer, cause the computer to perform operations to execute elementsinvolving the various aspects of the disclosure.

Moreover, while embodiments have been described in the context of fullyfunctioning computers and computer systems, those skilled in the artwill appreciate that the various embodiments are capable of beingdistributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that thedisclosure applies equally regardless of the particular type of machineor computer-readable media used to actually effect the distribution.

Further examples of machine-readable storage media, machine-readablemedia, or computer-readable (storage) media include but are not limitedto recordable type media such as volatile and non-volatile memorydevices, floppy and other removable disks, hard disk drives, opticaldisks (e.g., Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD ROMS), Digital VersatileDisks, (DVDs), etc.), among others, and transmission type media such asdigital and analog communication links.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of“including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,”“coupled,” or any variant thereof, means any connection or coupling,either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling ofconnection between the elements can be physical, logical, or acombination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,”and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall referto this application as a whole and not to any particular portions ofthis application. Where the context permits, words in the above DetailedDescription using the singular or plural number may also include theplural or singular number respectively. The word “or,” in reference to alist of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretationsof the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list,and any combination of the items in the list.

The above detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the teachings to the precise formdisclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, thedisclosure are described above for illustrative purposes, variousequivalent modifications are possible within the scope of thedisclosure, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Forexample, while processes or blocks are presented in a given order,alternative embodiments may perform routines having steps, or employsystems having blocks, in a different order, and some processes orblocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and/ormodified to provide alternative or subcombinations. Each of theseprocesses or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways.Also, while processes or blocks are, at times, shown as being performedin a series, these processes or blocks may instead be performed inparallel, or may be performed at different times. Further, any specificnumbers noted herein are only examples: alternative implementations mayemploy differing values or ranges.

The teachings of the disclosure provided herein can be applied to othersystems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements andacts of the various embodiments described above can be combined toprovide further embodiments.

Any patents and applications and other references noted above, includingany that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporatedherein by reference. Aspects of the disclosure can be modified, ifnecessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the variousreferences described above to provide yet further embodiments of thedisclosure.

These and other changes can be made to the disclosure in light of theabove Detailed Description. While the above description describescertain embodiments of the disclosure, and describes the best modecontemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, theteachings can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may varyconsiderably in its implementation details, while still beingencompassed by the subject matter disclosed herein. As noted above,particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspectsof the disclosure should not be taken to imply that the terminology isbeing redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics,features, or aspects of the disclosure with which that terminology isassociated. In general, the terms used in the following claims shouldnot be construed to limit the disclosure to the specific embodimentsdisclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Descriptionsection explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope ofthe disclosure encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but alsoall equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the disclosure underthe claims.

While certain aspects of the disclosure are presented below in certainclaim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of thedisclosure in any number of claim forms. For example, while only oneaspect of the disclosure is recited as a means-plus-function claim under35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶6, other aspects may likewise be embodied as ameans-plus-function claim, or in other forms, such as being embodied ina computer-readable medium. (Any claims intended to be treated under 35U.S.C. § 112, ¶6 will begin with the words “means for”.) Accordingly,the applicant reserves the right to add additional claims after filingthe application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspectsof the disclosure.

The detailed description provided herein may be applied to othersystems, not necessarily only the system described above. The elementsand acts of the various examples described above can be combined toprovide further implementations of the invention. Some alternativeimplementations of the invention may include not only additionalelements to those implementations noted above, but also may includefewer elements. These and other changes can be made to the invention inlight of the above Detailed Description. While the above descriptiondefines certain examples of the invention, and describes the best modecontemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, theinvention can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may varyconsiderably in its specific implementation, while still beingencompassed by the invention disclosed herein. As noted above,particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspectsof the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology isbeing redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics,features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology isassociated. In general, the terms used in the following claims shouldnot be construed to limit the invention to the specific examplesdisclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Descriptionsection explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope ofthe invention encompasses not only the disclosed examples, but also allequivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wireless power transmitter, comprising: a groupof antenna module boards (AMBs), wherein each AMB in the group of AMBsinclude a set of antennas positioned on a first side of the AMBs,wherein each of the AMBs are mechanically coupled to create aboard-to-board connection; wherein the set of antennas on each of theAMBs are dual port antennas that can drive multiple polarizations; and acentral controller board mechanically connected to the group of AMBs ona second side that is opposite the first side, wherein the centralcontroller board controls power transmission from the set of antennas onthe group of AMBs.
 2. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, whereinthe group of AMBs is a first group of four AMBs and the wireless powertransmitter further comprising additional groups of AMBs each having anadditional CCB, and wherein the CCBs are daisy chained to the firstgroup in a master-slave configuration.
 3. The wireless power transmitterof claim 1, wherein the group of AMBs is a first group and the wirelesspower transmitter further comprises additional groups of AMBs eachhaving an additional CCB, and wherein the CCBs are daisy chained to thefirst group in a master-slave configuration.
 4. The wireless powertransmitter of claim 1, wherein the AMBs are arranged in a substantiallyflat design.
 5. The wireless power transmitter of claim 4, wherein thesubstantially flat design is a square tile.
 6. The wireless powertransmitter of claim 5, wherein the square tile is formed into atwenty-four inch by twenty-four inch ceiling tile or a piece of art. 7.The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising shieldedhigh-speed bus connections on each of the AMBs in the group.
 8. Thewireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the central controllerboard includes an embedded proxy for secure communications with externalWi-Fi routers, secure power transmissions, and secure cloud-based datastorage.
 9. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, includes acylindrical housing or a tile housing composed of material that ispartially transparent to radio frequency (RF) waves and partiallyperforated.
 10. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, whereinmultiple polarizations of the set of antennas include circularpolarizations or a vertical polarization and a horizontal polarization.11. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the centralcontroller board also supports data transmissions using the set ofantennas and the wireless power transmitter includes no fans forcooling.
 12. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein at leastone AMB in the group of AMBs is rotated one hundred and eighty degreesfrom an orientation of another AMB in the group of AMBs.
 13. A wirelesspower transmitter, comprising: a group of antenna module boards (AMBs),wherein each AMB in the group of AMBs include a set of antennaspositioned on each of the AMBs, wherein each of the AMBs are coupled tocreate a board-to-board connection; wherein the set of antennas includemulti-port antennas that can drive multiple polarizations; wherein atleast some of the AMBs in the group of AMBs are positioned so that themulti-port antennas of one AMB is rotated from an orientation of anotherAMB in the group of AMBs; and a central controller board connected tothe group of AMBs, wherein the central controller board is configured tocontrol power transmission from the set of antennas on the group ofAMBs.
 14. The wireless power transmitter of claim 13, wherein the groupof AMBs is a first group of four AMBs and the wireless power transmitterfurther comprises additional groups of AMBs each having an additionalCCB, and wherein the CCBs are daisy chained in a master-slaveconfiguration.
 15. The wireless power transmitter of claim 13, whereinthe AMBs are arranged in a substantially flat design to create a tile.16. The wireless power transmitter of claim 15, wherein the tile is atwenty-four inch by twenty-four inch ceiling tile or a piece of art. 17.The wireless power transmitter of claim 13, further comprising ashielded high-speed bus connection on each of the AMBs and wherein thecentral controller board includes an embedded proxy for securecommunications with external Wi-Fi routers, secure power transmissions,and secure cloud-based data storage.
 18. The wireless power transmitterof claim 13, includes a cylindrical housing or a tile housing composedof material that is partially transparent to radio frequency (RF) wavesand partially perforated.
 19. The wireless power transmitter of claim13, wherein multiple polarizations of the set of antennas include avertical polarization and a horizontal polarization.
 20. The wirelesspower transmitter of claim 13, wherein the central controller board alsosupports data transmissions using the set of antennas.